Weed burner



Oct. 26, 1948. H. E. WOOLERY WEED BURNER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1943 Hoaxes E. \UOOLERX Filed May 14, 1945 H. E. WOOLERY 2,452,411

WEED BURNER- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hdaace E. \Doouam OMWYW 1943- H. E. WOOLAERY 2,452,411

WEED BURNER Filed May 14, 1945 I s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Oct. 26, 1948 WEED BURNER Horace E. Woolery, St. Paul, Minn; Myra Lillian Woolery, executrix of said Horace E. -Woolery, deceased, assignor to Woolery Machine Com pany, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application May 14, 1943, Serial No. 486,973

This invention relates to improvements in machines i'or burning the weeds and grasses along a railway road bed.

The primary object of my invention is to provide for this purpose a machine of small, compact and comparatively simple form, adapted to travel along the railway with its motive power provided by the usual small power car used in maintenance work or by other means, anclwhich includes a burner or flame throwin head which may be readily adjusted to any required positions for burning the weeds over the tie area as well as outside of the ballast lines. is designed for convenient operation by one man, and to carry its own fuel supply for burner and operating motor.

Another object is to provide a machine of this kind embodying a novel and efiective, turret-like mounting for the burner mechanism, permitting the entire assembly to be readily oscillated and swung about as required ,for the proper positioning of the burner head, and including conveniently operable brake mechanism for locking the parts in their adjusted positions.

Still a further object is to provide a machine of this kind having novel and practical improvements in its burner fuel feed system, in the burner head raising and lowering mechanism and other details contributing to the provision of a simple, durable and practical device for the purpose.

These and other more detailed and specific ob jects willbe disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in 'which Fig, l is a side view of my weedburner as supported upon a section of railway track, and showing the burner head and its tube in an elevated or transport posit-ion.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical and longitudinal sectional view through a lower part of the machine showing a part of the fuel feed line and its extension through the pivot member about which the burner frame oscillates.

Fig. 3 ma plan view of the weed burner, showing the burner head, and the frame from which it is extended, swung toward one side of the car.

Fig. 4 .is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the brake and operating mechanism for raising.

and lowering the burner tube.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary side elevation of a lower part oft-he burn-er frame and associated parts; showing the brake mechanism for lockin the same in any adjusted position, this view showing the frame supportingtrack and apart of the car in verticalsection. v

The machine itself 12 Claims. (Cl. 126-2712) Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view along the line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a lower corner portion of. the burner frame illustrating the manner in which the brake shoe or bar is held in place.

ig. 3 is a sectional view alongthe line 8--8 in Fig. '1.

Fig. 9is an enlarged sectional view along the line 9--9 in Fig. 1.

. Referring now more particularly and by reference characters to the drawings, it will be seen that my machine comprises a base frame in theform of a small car it having small flanged wheels I I journaled at its corners by means of which it may travel .on the usual railway rails l2. A cover sheet it is provided on the car and suitably braced and supported to act as a platform upon whichother suitable draft device for pulling car I0- along the track. The extension M is of such size as to nicely receive and carry two standard oil drums or barrels t6 providing fuel for the burner.

Arranged intermediate the sides of the .car 10 and toward but some distance from its rear end is a turret ll having a flat circular top 18 spaced above the level of the platform 13 and supported on this turret top is a burner frame or carrier frame designated generally at l9. Said frame includes a base made up of parallel beams or bars .20 which are joined by a transversely and horizontally extending plate 2| bearing upon the turret top. A tubular pivot member 122 is welded in the center of the turret top l8 and extends upwardly through an opening 23 in the plate 2| thus forming a pivot for the frame l9 whereon it may be oscillated in a horizontal plane above the car. This pivot is located somewhat off centerwith reference to the length of the base of the burner .frame as clearly shown so that the l frame will just clear it. Rollers 26 are provided at each side of the frame at this end and run upon the track permitting the frame to be easily swung around in a half circle from one side of the car to the other. End braces 21 extend between the ends of the track 24 and adjacent sides of the car and have upward humps 28 which will engage the rollers to prevent them from running off the track ends.

The burner frame l9 includes upright corner posts arranged in pairs 29 and 30, at its opposite ends, and between these posts, on the base beams 20, are mounted the conventional burner mechanism including as its main elements a blower 3 I, a fuel pump 32 and an engine orpower unit 33 for operating these parts. and piping, as well as belt connections between the units 3|, 32 and 33 are also provided but since these parts are conventional in operation and arrangementthey will not be described in detail herein. At one point however the fuel supply means is novel and will now be described.

- The fuel oil is taken from either of the drums l6 through a strainer 34 at the end of a flexible tube 35 which is connec ed to the upper end of a pipe 3B within a standpipe 36 This standpipe is erected at the front end of the car at the center thereo and at its lower end is open through a port 36*. A pipe 31 is connected to the lower end of the pipe 36 said pipe 31 extending for- .ward'y beneath the platform l3 to a point beneath the center of the turret I 1 whereat it is turned upwardly as at 38 through the turret and through the tubular pivot member 22. A swing joint 39 is attached to the upper end of the pipe from which a pipe 40 leads oil to other parts of the burner mechanism, ultimately reaching the pump 32 and so that fuel will be delivered under pressure therefrom to a supply pipe 4| which will be described in more detail laterherein. 'The swing joint 35 turns freely'on the upper end of the pipe 38 as the burner frame I 9 is swung about and provides for fuel feed from the drums l Without any hanging flexible lines over the car platform which would be in the way of the operator F standing thereon. When the strainer 34 is not'in use, such as when the drums l6are being replaced after emptying,it may be placed'in a drain cup or pocket 42 on the lower'end portion of the standpipe 35 and the oil therefrom will drain through an opening 43 into the pipe and out through the port 35 beneath the car.

An air tube 44 leads from the, blower 3! outward endwise from the burner frame between the corner posts 30 thereof and terminates in a swing joint 45 by which a burner tube 45 is pivotally mounted for up and down adjustments at its free end; A burner head 41 is provided on this free end of the tube, 46 and has a flame opening 48 through which issues the flame employed to burn theweeds. The fuel supply pipe 4! is connected by a flexible tube 49, located at the pivot center 50 of swing joint 45, to a pipe 5| leading out to the end of the tube 46 where it enters the tube and is connected therein to any suitable type of atomizer (not shown) so that the air supplied. through the tube from the blower 3| will combine with the fuel to form an inflammable mixture andprovide the necessary flame.

Asuitably trussed boom member 52 is secured to and between the upper ends of the burner frame corner posts 29-30 and extends at one end 53 outwardover the burner tube 46. A sprocket chain 54 is attached at one end at 55 to the outer end of the burner tube and extends therefrom up- Suitable control valves v wardly over an idler roller or sprocket 56 in the extremity of the boom end 53, thence lengthwise along the upper member 51 of the boom and over a sprocket 58 at the other end thereof. From this sprocket 58 the chain 54 is doubled back heneath the beam and passed over a roller 59 which is connected at 60 to a tension spring 61, the chain then again turning back beneath and extending to a point of attachment 62 to the upper portions of the corner posts 29. The opposite end of the spring BI is connected at 63 to the ends of brackets 64 extended from the corner posts 30 out beneath the boom end 53 and connected thereto by braces 65.

The sprocket 58 is positioned between two bearing plates 66 (Figs. 1 and 4), which are secured atop the upper ends of the burner frame corner posts 29 and the sprocket is secured to the tubular extension 6! of the spider or hub 61 of a brake or clutch mechanism 68 which extension is journaled in bearings 69 in the plates. Journaled through this hub 61 and its tubular extension GI is a shaft 10 which at one end carries a crank or handle H and at its other end a collar 12 which prevents endwise displacement. An inner cone 73 is secured to, or formed integrally on, the hub 61 and fits into a rigidly supported outer cone 74 carried by brackets 15 from one plate 66. An expansion coilspring 16 is placed over the shaft 78 between the handle H and the end of the hub 61 and urges the latter endwise in such manner as to bring the inner cone 13 normally into tight frictional engagement with the outer cone 74. A diametrically extended pin 11 in the shaft 10 enters at its ends into penings 18 in the hub 61, which openings have angularly extending cam surfaces 79 so arranged that rotation of the shaft, by handle II, in either direction a short distance will cause a camming action endwise on the hub urging it against'the spring 16 and loosening the inner cone from the outer. Continued rotation of the handle will then cause the shaft to turn the now released hub 61 and rotate the sprocket 58. Such rotation of the sprocket will either pull in or pay out the chain 54 raising or lowering the burner tube 46 about its swing joint 45, and when the handle is released the spring 16 will immediately reassert itself bringing the cones 73-74 back into tight frictional engagement to lock the burner tube in its adjusted vertical position. This brake or clutch obviously permits one hand raising and lowering operation without the actuation of a separate brake with the other hand. The function of spring BI is to partially support and counterweight the burner tube and head, facilitating their'up and down adjustment.

The rollers 26 are supported in brackets 80 extending laterally from the lower ends of the corner posts 30 so that the rollers engage the track 24 outwardly of the frame as best seen in Fig. 6. Arranged between these rollers and beneath this end of the frame is a brake shoe or bar 8! having its center web overlying the track and on its underside carrying a strip of brake lining material, as indicated at 83. The ends of the bar having upstanding, perforated cars 84 which rest loosely in the channels 85 at the outer sides of the corner posts 30 (Fig 7) and to which are connected the lower ends of tension coil springs 86 attached at upper ends Bl to the posts. These springs and the ears 84 pull'the brake bar upwardly and prevent its outward displacement as will be evident. The corner posts 30 are made up from conventional channel irons to provide the channels 85 aforesaid.

The brake bar ,8! inwardly of the corner posts, has upstanding pins 88 which loosely and upwardly engage openings 89 in the ends of the burner frame sides 28 and permit the bar to move upward and downward somewhat, such movement while keeping the bar parallel with and fiat against the upper surface of the track permitting it to be urged downwardly to bring the brake lining 83 into braking engagement with the track. The springs 86 normally draw the bar upwardly to free the brake lining from the track.

.A bracket is provided comprising spaced arms 90 secured at lower ends to brake operating toes or levers 9!, these arms being pivotally connected at upper ends at 92 to an operating rod 93 and being also biased by a retractile coil spring 9A to normally hold and tightly press the brake bar 8| and its brake lining flat against the track 24. The toes or levers 9! are l cated between the brake bar and the undersides of the burner frame members 2t and have openings 98* loosely clearing the pins 58. As a result, when the bracket arms 99 are pulled by the spring .94, the toes 95 are canted (Fig. 8) and pry the brake .bar downwardly to braking position. The spring as is connected at 95 to the upper ends of the arms and at its other end is shown as conveniently attached at $5 to the blower 3!. The operating rod 93 extends lengthwise in the burner frame toward the end opposite the brake mechanism and is pivotally connected thereat by a pin 9! to the lower ends of links 98 which hang from pivotal connections at upper ends 99 between thev corner posts 29. A cam member I 00 is formed, or provided, at the end of a brake operating arm ill-I pivoted at "12 between the posts :29 and this cam member has two spaced shallow notches I03 for selectively engaging the pin 91. engaged with the pin 9? the cam member I 00 will exert an endwise thrust upon the operating rod such that the toes 9! release their downward pressure on the brake bar 8! in which condition the braking pressure on the track 24 will be released. When the operating arm iill is swung either upward or downward, however, the cam member It!!! may be caused to clear the pin 9'! whereupon the end thrust on the "rod 93 will be released and the tension of the spring Si l will oppositely rock the toes 9| to pry downwardly on the brake bar to press the brake lining tightly against the track thus applying braking forces sufficient to prevent travel of the burner frame thereover.

Actually the tension or the spring 96 and the prying or cramping action of the toes ill on the brake bar 8!, is sufficient to elevate this end of the burner frame slightly, carrying the rollers 26 upwardly clear of the track, as seen in Fig. 7, to place all of the weight at this point against the brake lining. Positive braking'is thus insured.

The brake operating arm [0! has four positions in use. in two of which he notches le t are respcctively engaged with the pin 9'! and the brake is released. In one of such positions, that shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the arm extends downwardly. and of course endwise from the burner frame. The arm carries at its end a U-shaped yoke member Hi4 which, when the arm is in this position, may engage the thigh of an operator standing on the car and which will enable him to exert sideward pressure on the When thus arm, without using hishands, and sufiicientto oscillate the burner frame about its upright pivot and bring it to any desired position. In the other brake releasing position the arm extends upwardly too high for this operation but may be adjusted by hand.

When the brake is applied the operating arm Edi extends either upwardly or downwardly from these described positions as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The use and operation of the machine will, it

believed, be apparent from the foregoing. Thew burner head ll, from which issues the flame,

may be readily adjusted in the horizontal planethrough an arc of approximately one hundred and eighty degrees to cover and burn weeds along the entire tie area or outwardly thereof at each sL... and may be locked in any such adjusted'position. by the brake engaging the track 24. On the other hand, when this brake is released, the rollers 2t traveling on this track permit the roomparatively heavy burner frame and all of its.

supported parts to be easily swung around by the operator. The burner head may also be readily raised and lowered to properly adjust the spread of the flame and will be automatically unlocked and locked by the cone clutch mechanism of Fig. 4 without attention on the part of the operator. The machine is obviously well suited to one man operation and requires, only.

a small draft force, such as a power car which may of course itself be operated by one other man to pull the machine along the track at proper speed. The burner head may be raised or lowcred while being simultaneously swung to either side thus rapidly adjusting the flame spread and direction to meet all conditions.

The burner tube it, outwardly of the swing joint 45, is arranged to swivel or oscillate about itsaxis and for this purpose the inner or iorward end of the tube-is received and frictional-1y engaged by a clamp band W5 which is tightly affixed around astub end $66 of the swing joint structure. the band is a shaft Hi8 having a universal joint or other suitable flexible connection IE9. adjacent and alongside the pivot axis of the swing joint, with an operating shaft Ht which extends forwardly through the burner frame and carries a crank ii i at its iorward'end. This operating shaft is suitably supported in the frame and the crank iii is placed at the forward end of the frame convenient to the hand of the operator, as he stands on the forward end portion of he car for operating the brakes previously described." I

The end of the shaft H38 carries a lever H2 (Fig. '9) which is connected by a link i F3 to 2. lug i i secured to the adjacent side of the burner tube it. This link connection is such that oscillation of the shaft 9138, by crank ill, will pull or push upon the link H3 exerting tangential forces on the burner tube sufficient to oscillate it about its axis in the clamp band Hi5, such movements angling the burner head flame openai'il upward to one side or the other from its normal 'lower position as willbe readily apparent. The fiame'issuing from this burner head may thus be turned toward and against the banks sometimes found alongside the .road bed to more evenly spread the flame thereover.

This SWlVfil adjustment of the burner head may also be carried out simultaneously with the raisor lowering sideward swinging of the Journaled in brackets It? alongside 7 burner previously described, the joint I09 providing for the movement of shaft I08 with the burner-tube without interfering with its operation by crank HI.

The pipe and particularly the flexible connection 49 thereto, have sufiicient play to permit the aforesaid swiveling movement of the burner tube and head.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim tobe new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described and including a supporting platform, a frame pivotally supported at one end on the platform for horizontal swinging movements at its other end with respect to the platform, a substantially semi-circular track supported on the platform beneath the swinging end of the frame and centered about the pivot axis upon which the frame swings, wheels on the frame adapted to travel along said track as the frame swings, selectively applicable brake means on theframe and operative when applied to bear downwardly on the track and elevate the wheels clear of the track, and a flame projector on the frame and movable therewith.

2. In an apparatus of the character described and including a supporting platform, a frame pivotally supported at one end on the platform for horizontal swinging movements at its other end with respect to the platform, a curved track on the platform centered about the pivot axis on which the frame swings and extending be neath the swinging end of the frame to support the same, brake mechanism carried by the frame for engaging the track, spring means normally applying said brake mechanism to lock the frame with respect to the track, manually operative means for overcoming said spring means to disengage the brake mechanism from the track and a flame projector on the frame and movable therewith.

3. In an apparatus of the character described and including a supporting platform, a frame pivotally supported at one end on the platform for horizontal swinging movements at its other end with respect to the platform, a curved track on the platform centered about the pivot axis on which the frame swings and extending beneath the swinging end of the frame to support thesame, a brake shoe yieldably support-ed beneath the frame over the track, a movable member having toes disposed between the frame and said shoe and adapted when canted to force said shoe downwardly into braking engagement with the track, means for moving the member to cant the toes thereof, and a flame projector carried by the frame and movable therewith.

4. In an apparatus of the character described and including a supporting car having a platform, a frame pivotally supported at one end on the platform for horizontal swinging movements at its other end with respect to the platform, a curved track on the platform centered about the pivot axis on which the frame swings and extending beneath the swinging end of the frame to support the same, a brake shoe yieldably supported beneath the frame and over the track, an oscillatable brake applying member vhaving toe portions, disposed between the frame and brake shoe and loosely connected to the frame for canting movement such as to pry the shoe downward from the frame into engagement with the track, means for moving said brake applying member, and a flame projector carried by the frame and movable therewith.

5. In an apparatus of the character described and including a support and a frame having several hand controls at one end and said frame being pivotally supported on said support for swinging movements by an operator stationed adjacent that end, means for releasably locking the frame against such movements and including a member extending from the frame and having a yoke adapted to be engaged by the operators thigh when the member is adjusted to unlock the frame whereby he may swing the frame while his hands are occupied with the said controls, and a member carried by the frame to be swung thereby.

In an apparatus of the character described and including a support and a frame having several hand controls at one end and said frame being pivotally supported on said support for swinging movements by an operator stationed adjacent that end, means for releasably locking the frame against such movements and includ ing a member extending from the frame and having a yoke adapted to be engaged by the operators thigh when the member is adjusted to unlock the frame whereby he may swing the frame while his hands are occupied with the said controls, said member being also selectively positionable in another position at which the frame will also be unlocked and the member adapted for hand operation to swing the frame, and a work member carried by the frame.

7. In an apparatus of the character described and including a support and a frame pivotally supported on the support for swinging movements under control of an operator stationed adjacent the frame and said apparatus including at least two hand controls for actuation by said operator, a member extending from the frame adjacent said operators station, means on the said member for engagement with the operators leg whereby he may exert leverage to swing and adjust the frame while his hands are simultaneously occupied with said hand controls, and a work member carried by the frame.

8. In an apparatus of the character described and including a support and a frame pivotally supported thereon for swinging movements under control of an operator stationed adjacent the frame and said apparatus including at least two hand controls for actuation by said operator, a member extending from the frame adjacent said operatcrs station, said member being selectively adjustable to one position for hand operation and another position for operation by the leg of the operator when his hands are occupied with said hand controls, and a work member carried by the frame.

9. In combination with a Wheeled car having a floor, a curved track on the floor, a frame pivotally supported on the fioor for oscillating movements at one end over said track, a flame projecting means carried by and oscillating with the frame, brake means adapted to engage the track and lock the frame in an adjusted position, means on the frame for supportably engaging the track, and the said brake means being operative to so engage the track as to elevate the frame end and lift said supporting means from the track when the brake is applied.

10. In combination with a wheeled car having a floor, a curved track on the floor, a frame pivotally supported on the floor for oscillating movements at one end over said track, a flame projecting means carried by and oscillating with the frame, brake means carried by the frame for engaging the track to lock the frame in an adjusted position, the said brake means having a friction surface adapted to be pressed against the upper surface of the track, an oscillatable brake frame having means for pressing said friction surface against the track, and means for oscillating said brake frame to apply and release the brake.

11. In combination with a wheeled car having a platform, a curved track on the platform, a frame pivotally supported on the platform for oscillating movements at one end over the track, a flame projecting means carried by and oscillating with the frame, brake means carried by the frame at the end traveling over said track to lock the frame against movement, means at the other end of the frame operatively connected to the brake means for actuating the same, the said brake actuating means including an arm having a yoke member adapted for engagement with an operators leg whereby the frame may be oscillated by the operator without use of his hands when the brake means is released.

12. In combination with a wheeled car having a platform, a frame pivotally supported adjacent one end on the platform for swinging movements at its other end, a flame projector carried by and swingable with the frame, and an arm extending from the first mentioned end of the frame and having means for engagement with the leg 10 of an operator stationed on the platform whereby the frame may be swung on its pivotal support by said operator, without use of his hands, and by exerting sideward forces on the arm.

HORACE E. WOOLERY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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